All things Monarch of the Seas

[courtneyMC]

Anyone have 3 day compass scanned in somewhere you can link to or to email out? I saw a couple 4 day but not a 3 day.

 

if you can email, mcmahanjunk @ cfl . rr . com (remove the spaces) :)

 

thanks!

[asil621]

Awhile ago I came across some 3-Nighter Compasses on CC. Here is a link to the thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=892880&highlight=monarch+compasses

 

They are from about a year ago, so I'm not sure what all has changed.

[courtneyMC]

Awhile ago I came across some 3-Nighter Compasses on CC. Here is a link to the thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=892880&highlight=monarch+compasses

 

They are from about a year ago, so I'm not sure what all has changed.

 

Thanks!!

[fudgedown]

We were die hard Sovereign fans and feared the Monarch staff would not be as fabulous. No worries, we did a 3 day in July 09 and they eased all our fears and transitioned us quite well. Maribel (Head of Bar Services) received a much deserved promotion and we were all so glad to see her again. Vijay in the casino bar so impressed us, between our nightly donations to the slots. He never once forgot a guest name. Both of these crew members made our cruise. Also, way to go Royal with Capt. Karin. She carried us without a bump or sway. We were in a GS so if anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

[PH8]

I love Maribel and Vijay...........(I keep in touch with them thru Facebook)....:) They are really great at what they do..

[flcruzer03]

Fudge, which GS did you have on Monarch? I just upgraded us from a JS to GS 1536...it's only the 2nt Christmas cruise..but there are 3 of us sharing a cabin and the upgrade was only $48 total..I couldn't pass it up..never had a GS before..they may have to pry me off the ship!!:D

[alli]

Just returned from a very successful 4 night cruise on Monarch!! Was everything absolutely perfect? No, LOL, but overall the trip was great and we are already looking to book our 14th cruise in May.

[fudgedown]

We were in 1536. It was nice and roomy. We spent a lot of time on the balcony. We had dining room menu delivered to our room. Breakfast was especially nice, eggs benedict. Plenty of storage and convenient to the elevators and stairs. No noise from above.

[alli]

We were in 8058. It was probably the smallest cabin we've ever had on a cruise. We had the beds pushed together though...it seems like separating the beds offers more space. We had an obstructed view--but it was fine for us.

 

We did smell sewage from time to time in the hallway, but never in the cabin itself.

 

The location was great--sort of half way between the aft stairs and the midship stairs ( elevators).

[WideAwake428]

I will be boarding her 9 days from today!! We're very excited

[iukbsn]

We are sailing March 8-12, 2010 with our 20 y/o son. Can he participate in the adult only things or is that 21 and older? Can he play in the casino?

 

We have a JS Deck 10, rm 1556. Anyone stay here before? Is the view nice? We decided to ddo the JS since there are 3 of us.

 

We are going to Aquaventure while in Nassau. Anyone ever been? Are there places to put your clothes/belongings?

 

I've been trying to print out the 4 day compass I found on post #1628 but having trouble. Can someone email me this to rnjackie@yahoo.com? Thanks!

[Scotty G]

Drew Devine has established a new level of entertainment on the 4 day cruise. On Thursday night at 11:00PM in Boleros, the Monarch of the Seas Orchestra (the entire band) and the Singers and Dancers do a night club type show that was set up by the band director Tony. This is different than the last night show done on the Mariner / Freedom in the Viking Crown - more people involved in a much larger venue. The band played jazz, the singers each had a solo (These guys and gals are tremendously talented!!). The dancers led cruisers in some dances and cruisers were invited to dance while all this was going on. It was very dynamic and when Drew came up and played the drums it get very electric. This should become a standard for the last night gig on a 4 day or longer cruise. Congratulations Drew for another job well done!!! :D:D:D

[Avista]

It took 2 days, but I've read through all the posts. Last night booked the Monarch for a 4 day cruise Jan 18. We will have Cabin 2608 and our friends 2010. We were on the last cruise of the Sovereign and loved it. This was a last minute deal--first time we booked on our own through RC website. The first time we didn't use a TA.

 

What are pros and cons of using a TA?

 

We haven't signed up for insurance yet. Always have in the past, but since it is only a couple months out, thought we'd take a chance. Any comments?

 

Think our cabins will be OK? I know we will have a small port hole on OV deck 2. Thanks all.

[threecats]

Avista, Monarch is a sister of the Sovereign, and I can tell you from experience, that there are very few differences. The OV cabins are the same, so you already know what to expect. They will be just fine.

 

As for insurance, the fares on these short cruises can drop so low, that many people don't bother with insurance. As long as you can afford to "lose" the fare, if something comes up, and pay for medical expenses, if you get sick on the trip, then go for it. I would never go without insurance, but it's your choice to make.:)

 

There are many good reasons pro and con using TA's, and you will find many threads on these boards discussing them all ad nauseum.:cool:

[jiqbal]

Hi - this is going to be our (2 adults, and one 1 year old) first cruise on RCL - Monarch of the Seas during the Thanksgiving weekend.

 

Can someone answer the following:

 

1. What are the areas of the ship that include the free(prepaid) food. What times are they open, what are your suggestions?

 

2. We live in Orlando, how early should we get to the port?

 

3. What activities are free on the ship and what require $?

 

 

4. We've already did the online check-in, any other tips we should for the weekend cruise? In regards to the stop, were just planning on visiting Atlantis and thats it by paying for a Taxi ourselves.

 

Thanks!

[John Henry on CC]

Hi - this is going to be our (2 adults, and one 1 year old) first cruise on RCL - Monarch of the Seas during the Thanksgiving weekend.

 

Can someone answer the following:

 

1. What are the areas of the ship that include the free(prepaid) food. What times are they open, what are your suggestions?

 

2. We live in Orlando, how early should we get to the port?

 

3. What activities are free on the ship and what require $?

 

 

4. We've already did the online check-in, any other tips we should for the weekend cruise? In regards to the stop, were just planning on visiting Atlantis and thats it by paying for a Taxi ourselves.

 

Thanks!

 

Monarch does not have any extra-fee eateries, except for "Jade" where you can get sushi by the piece, but I doubt that your one year old would enjoy that! (ok, and Lattetudes; see below)

 

Monarch has the main dining room, Windjammer buffet and room service. All are included in your cruisefare, except that there is a $3.95 "service charge" for room service from midnight to 5:30 a.m.

 

We like to arrive at Port Canaveral at 10:45-11:00 a.m.

 

The casino, bingo, drinks all cost extra. There is a coffee shop (Lattetudes) for "specialty" coffee. You can buy ice cream there, too.

[jiqbal]

Thanks for that info, how much room is there for storage in the room, we are trying to decice how much luggage we can take one, were thinking two carry on suit cases - and one stroller.

 

Any other suggestions you can tell to avoid any surprises and make the cruise more enjoyable.

 

im still upset that RCL charged me 3rd passenger ticket at full for my 1 year old.

 

Either way, we leave this Friday and come back Monday.

[threecats]

Free food is in the Windjammer (Buffet) and the dining rooms. You can also get free beverages, like coffee, tea, ice tea, water there. All sodas and alcoholic beverages will be charged to your cruise cards. You can buy soda packages right after boarding, if you drink a lot of that stuff.

 

Opening hours vary depending on port schedule, but you will always find them in the compass, which is delivered daily to your cabin and has all information for the next day that you could possibly want.

 

I can't think of any activities that would not be free, except for gambling (casino, bingo) and spa/salon treatments.

 

The cabins are really tiny, so with the crib for your baby, there will not be much room for anything left. Luggage can be stored under the beds. Your room attendant can also take your empty suitcases, store them somewhere else and return them to you on the last day. That would give you more room for other things under the beds. If your in-laws are on deck nine, they will have a larger cabin than you (157 sqft compared to your 122 sqft). Maybe they can take some of the bulkier things, like a stroller, into their cabin.

 

Boarding usually starts around 11:00 am, and it is usually not very crowded at that time. Latest boarding time is 3:00 pm, so you need to make sure to be there before that time. Since you live fairly close, it's probably wise to try to schedule travel and boarding around your baby's usual nap and feeding times.

[jiqbal]

awesome info guys - thanks.

 

by the way do you recommend tipping cash or doing the prepaid tip thing.

 

how does that work and what tip amount is right for the service?

 

1. on departure do they carry the bags to the room or do i have to carry them?

 

2. on arrrival back, it says we arrive at 7:00am, how long before we can exit out, i need to know so have time to go back to work on that Monday.

 

3. lastly, what do you recommend to do at Nassau - i was thinking of just taking a taxi to Atlantis.

 

thanks!

[threecats]

1. You drive up to the terminal and hand the porters your luggage. Then you drive around to park and walk into the terminal for check in and boarding. The next time you see your luggage, it will be sitting in the hallway right outside your cabin.

 

2. Self-disembarkation usually starts around 7:30 am, but that varies due when custom clears the ship. Self-disembarkation means, that you take your luggage off the ship yourselves, which might be a bit much with the baby. Normally, you pack the night before and leave your luggage in the hallway, then pick it up in the terminal like after a flight. This is organized in groups with colored luggage tags for each group. The last group is usually due to disembark around 9:30 am. Again, that can vary. You can request an early group, if you need to get off the ship quickly, but I would recommend taking at least half the day off work.

 

3. I usually stay on the ship, but maybe someone else has an idea.

[dalmoradie]

We're booked on the Jan 18 2010 sailing of the Monarch and would like to know if any of you have any comments on cabin #6530?

 

Thanks

[wmjrdn]

Hi - this is going to be our (2 adults, and one 1 year old) first cruise on RCL - Monarch of the Seas during the Thanksgiving weekend.

 

Can someone answer the following:

 

1. What are the areas of the ship that include the free(prepaid) food. What times are they open, what are your suggestions?

 

2. We live in Orlando, how early should we get to the port?

 

3. What activities are free on the ship and what require $?

 

 

4. We've already did the online check-in, any other tips we should for the weekend cruise? In regards to the stop, were just planning on visiting Atlantis and thats it by paying for a Taxi ourselves.

 

Thanks!

 

We just got off Monarch for the same trip and had a blast. Our head waiter was chatting with us on our last evening dinner and said that there were going to be 690 kids on next weekend's cruise (compared with 270 on our cruise) so you should be in good company!

 

We got to the ship at 11:02, dropped off wife and luggage, parked and walked back to the terminal. We walked into the main terminal building at 11:10 and we were on gangplank at 11:17. Crazy fast.

 

My wife and I really enjoyed walking around, getting familiar with the ship and layout before it was crowded.

[frednsb]

We were on the Monarch in late August. Took my two daughters and four grand kids. the Aquarium at Atlantis is fantastic.

[nolimits]

cant read every post sure info is here BUT how long of drive from orlando airport to port canaveral. and or from jax air

[disfan]

45 Minutes from OIA to PC.